Good algae grazer?

[BJanecka]

I'm looking for a good all around algae grazer for my 75. Some of the rocks always seem a little fuzzy, nothing major. Currently I have roughly a dozen blue leg hermits and maybe 6 or so astreas. I only have a royal gramma and a false clown. I was considering the following as a list and would like to get some opinions on which one: kole tang, yellow tang, sailfin blenny, or other as recommended. Thanks.

Brad

[Louie3]

my Convict tang eats algea all day and night, so maybe you can add one in your tank

[PeeperKeeper]

The Lawnmower blenny is a good choice and they're cute to watch too. Good personalities.

Honestly, a LARGE clean up crew is the best way I have found to get rid of algae in my 75. A fish just really isn't going to do it and 75 gallons is right on the verge of being too small for most tangs anyway. When I was just messing around with a dozen each of hermies and snails, they didn't get very far. But when I finally bit the bullet and made myself really make the investment and get 30 - 50 snails plus 25 or so hermies, the algae magically disappeared! Of course it really hurt to spend over $100 on a bunch of ugly critters, but it was worth it in the long run to have a very clean looking tank. Now when people first see my tank, they always think it's new because it's so clean, but it's like 8 years old.

Also, another piece of advice is to very slowly drip acclimate snails. They are actually among the most sensitive creatures to changes in water. I actually spent over $100 on them more than once before somebody told me that. Since you don't really get to know them individually and they're often hidden in he rocks, you might not notice if a month after you introduce 30 snails you only have half of them left due to a too-short acclimation. They just sorta slowly die off. But if you do it right, they can live for years. It's also a good idea to just always pick up a couple extras every time you buy a fish.

[Darth-Tater]

www.reeftopia.com is a great place to buy those ugly little critters. In fact why not post an all call in the group order forum. If you get $120.00 you get free shipping. They have an excellent selection. I also love my lawnmower Blennie. He does have an outstanding personality. When you look at him he looks back. And he munches the heck out of algae in my 100 at home and another her in my classroom. The kids love to stare at him because he stares back. :w00t

DT

[Louie3]

id really like to do that but i dont know if people here in the RGV are interestred

[blueboy]

watch out for those algae blennies! mine just decided to start nipping clams, now i have to figure how to get him out of my 120. wouldn't you know he's the most cautious one in the tank, and tempting him with food doesn't really work since he always looks fat enough to burst.

[matt]

Probably the best all around algae eater is a diadema (long spined) urchin. Don't sit on it, though!

[Louie3]

Just make sure it doesnt die, it leaks out some thick orange goo from its mouth, and once you take it out it smells like the worst stench ever

[blueboy]

problem with urchins is they eat corraline too, that and knock frags down. they're like little reef bulldozers. mine have been relegated to the overflows.

[GaryP]

Fish are exactly that, grazers. They are going to "pick at" algae, not mow it down. They have seen fish in the wild actually cultivate algae gardens that they return to over and over to feed on.

Grazed algae will grow faster than ungrazed algae. To really clean up and eliminate algae you need to use inverts like snails and hermits. As was mentioned earlier, a few cleanup critters is almost useless. You have to really stock them heavily to eliminate nuisance algaes.

The other thing to consider is the source of the algae in the first place. Phosphates!

[BJanecka]

Thanks for the responses. Looks like I need to beef up my cleanup crew. What's considered a good cleanup crew as far as numbers go? How many snails, hermits, etc. for a 75? What kind?

[GaryP]

My rule of thumb is a nice mixture stocked at 1-2/gal. Some clean up guys are better for cleaning glass, other are better for sand or rock. That's why a mixture is a good idea. I like astrea, cerith, nerite, and nassarius snails and micro blue leg hermits.

[saltcreepette]

just to be the black sheep I will throw in this link. Not that having a great cleanup crew wouldnt work.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/hcs3/index.php

A guy on a board I was at recently (cant remember where) said "I had a problem with algae but then I got a foxface..."

Also fwiw upon investigation of the stomach contents of wild Kole tangs revealed very little filamentous algae (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-07/hcs3/index.php) but it does say they will eat more algae in captivity.

I had two different lawnmowers (at two different times) in my 120 which had plenty of algae growing on the back glass, and for some reason it never quite fattened up (despite the algae and supplemental feedings) and both of them died looking very skinny. I dont think I will get another due to that despite the fact they were lovely little fish with great personalities. I just didnt have good luck getting them to feed.

Lastly, my yellow tang does nothing to curb the amount of algae (albeit modest) in my current tank. He holds out for the nori, the picky swine.

I currently have four hermits and one snail (I just never bothered to replenish the cleanup crew since I bought it three years ago it has slowly dwindled....since I dont have too much algae in my tank.

[GaryP]

Kole tangs are more of a detritivore then an algae grazer. They would rather pick at the sand. Rabbitfish are great grazers. They have a really big appetite and will eat just about anything. They will also eat bubble algae. I have one in both of my tanks and the only place you will find any bubble algae is in the crevices that they can't get to.